God Save the South
by rachel0525
Summary: Jasper Whitlocks story before, during and after the Civil war. Includes romance, pain and vampire. R
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

I feel the breeze picking up outside, it was nice; the warm weather was scalding in the day. The sun was low in the sky and the light shone through my bedroom window and into my eyes. I groaned and pulled the blankets over my head, the thick cotton rubbing against my tangled hair. I knew I was awake. That didn't mean I wanted to get up. I sighed and sat up slowly rubbing my eyes. I could smell the faint scent of eggs and meat cooking downstairs. It smelled nice. I turned my head towards the window, it was beautiful out. I swung my legs off the bed and yawned, raising my hands above my head.

"Jasper." The sound echoed up the stairs and into my bedroom. My mom. I smiled; she wasn't a very patient woman. I hopped up to the dresser and pulled open the wooden drawers. I grabbed the clothes and put them on. Looking around my room, I noticed a slight difference, as if someone had cleaned up. The chest was closed and a small brass lock held it shut. The mirror and bed stands were cleaned, polished and shined in the dim light. I was confused. I walked over to the large, dark wooden chest and pulled in open; the clothes were neatly piled and folded, half shirts, half pants. I cocked my head to the side. I definitely didn't leave it like that.

"Jasper!" The sound screeched up at me. Not patient at all. I laughed and pulled the black wooden knob and the door creaked loudly. I should fix that. I turned down the hallway passing the doors and pictures and ran down the stairs. The front foyer was simple and rugged, but it gave that homey feeling. The door opened onto the wooden porch that stretched along the East, South and West sides of the house. The room had three doors, one lead to the kitchen, one to the family room, and one to the living room. I turned left and followed the smell into the kitchen. A long skinny woman stood hovering over the stove. I smiled and walked in.

"What ya'll making?" I asked, making her jump. She turned to face me and smiled. There were two frying pans on the stove and a tea kettle on the table. Fresh bread and pie were cooling near the window and the pantry door was open, displaying all the wheat, preserves and other food we had crammed in there. It was small for a pantry, but we had more space in the basement landing, that's were we kept the meat and potatoes. I walked to the table and sat down at the pulled out chair. Ma was always getting after me for not pushing it in when I was done; I guess the chastisement never really got through to me. She smiled back and laughed.

"I hope ya'll happy now." She said laughing. "Now that that mess of a room you hide in is clean." She scrapped at the pan and the eggs sizzled.

"Oh, um, yeah. Um. Thank you." I said quietly, slightly embarrassed. I was a man and I couldn't even clean my own room. Ma looked over her shoulder at me and laughed at my obvious discomfort. She had pale blue eyes like me, and actually looked pretty young for her age. Here hopes when I get to her age I look just as young.

"Oh. Don't thank me." She giggled and flopped the eggs and meat onto a plate. "Thank Anna." She slipped to the drawers to get me a fork and knife. Anna? What was she doing here? I knew here all my life, but why would she clean up after me? I wasn't dirty… I wasn't _that_ dirty. I placed my chin on my fist and stared out the window.

"Anna?" I whispered, and smiled. She didn't forget. I highly doubted she would ever forget.

"Yep." Ma said as she placed the plate in front of me, it was over flowing with food. Good thing too, I was starving. "She came here yesterday afternoon to help me with the church fundraiser, and once she saw your room that poor girl got down on her hands and knees and scrubbed every inch." I turned away from her and laughed.

"Maybe she owed me." I whispered rebelliously and smiled. I turned my head towards the wall so she couldn't see my smug expression. Ma turned around and whipped me with a wet towel. Ow.

"Maybe you 'otta be more kind to that young girl. She does her damned best to help out everyone and I think myself that she shouldn't have cleaned your room. Let you do it by yourself." She turned back to the food. "Teach you how to clean" She added quietly. I laughed and stabbed the food with my fork.

"I'll go see 'er today. I got to go down that way anyhow to pick up the mail and I might as well stop by."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

I raced out the door and into the fresh morning air. I loved the view from this place and could sit out here for hours. I was lucky to live here. Nice house and not to far away from the busy downtown of Houston but just far enough to be able to have some acres and some scenery. The North side of the house faced towards the city, and if you looked through the trees you could see the bustling town of Houston. On the East side was the farming land. We had about five acres of land and the other five acres behind the house. On the West side, it leads into the trees and stream that ran through there and out into the Gulf. I jogged down the steps and down the walk through the gates.

"Jasper, wait!" Someone called behind me. I skidded to a stop and turned back to face the house. My mom was standing in the doorway holding up the side of her dress. She stepped down the stairs and called out again. "I need to stop by the blacksmith's shop. Your father needs a new hammer and some nails for the barn. But just a small package!" She waved good bye and I waved back. Our house was large and white. The first story had pillars going around the porch and a railing that was spotted with leaves and dust. The windows and door frame were dark blue and traced the curtains that huge inside. The second floor had a balcony that leads out to face the West side and the rest of the windows faced toward the city. The shingles matched the window frames and slanted slightly down off the house. There was a little shed attached to the side of the house, painted white to match it, and a little black lantern light hung beside the door.

"Yeah!" I called and wheeled around. Running straight for town. Here's hoping I had enough on me to buy them. I didn't care. I'm sure I would. I usually had all kinds of change in my pockets. I slipped out the gate and onto the path. It was a two maybe three minute walk to the cities edge, I was so lucky to live so close, yet far enough away. I hit the cities edge quickly, panting from running. My pants were loose and my belt wasn't done up right. My shoes were quickly untied. I probably looked like a madman. I prided myself on my cleanliness, well personal cleanliness. I crossed a small bridge and turned left onto a busy street. I quickly maneuvers around the people and buildings. I knew my way off by heart; I've lived here all my life. The buildings were almost like small houses, usually brick or fading paint. The baker's was down the main road and a left turn at the corner, and if you kept going straight you'd hit the blacksmiths. Main Street, the busiest part of town, was made up of buildings squished tightly together. Posters lined the buildings; I never really looked at them. Usually government stuff, I wasn't interested. The rest of town was made up of living spaces. People usually had an acre to their land. I have ten. It was just enough room to live and work, but still live in the city.

I turned onto a small rugged road that had been worn down by continuous horse hoofs and peoples feet trudging along them. The houses to the left and a small walk up the driveway was Anna's house. Her father worked on a ranch pretty far out of town and never really came around. I felt bad for her. It was white like mine but not as big. There was a shed also but bigger than mine. Her windows and frames were dark green and more worn than ours. The porch wasn't long and only stretched about seven feet. She had one horse, and didn't ride it to town a lot, but just rode for the fun. Because she and her mother didn't have a man in the house all the handiwork was down and broken. I used to come here all the time as a kid and just play with her. Her dad introduced us when I was five. But now I came over to fix things, and to work. I didn't have much time to play anymore. I smiled and trotted up the steps. I curled my hand into a fist and knocked on the door.

The door swung open and Anna stood with a large amount of feathers in her hair and dust all over her. I tried to suffocate a laugh, but it leaked through. Chores. She had to do them all since her mother was getting old, I still had my mom at least, but she almost had no one.

"Oh!" she peeped and pulled her hair down around her one shoulder. She peered up through her dark lashes and then stared at her feet. "I'm sorry," she said quietly, "I didn't know you were coming over so I didn't have time to clean up" She looked up at me and I smiled. She smiled too. I was glad she was happy, she was never sad and when she was it broke my heart.

"Ah. Um. Ca-com-come on in ya'll" She scooted aside to make room for me and I slid past her into the house.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

I stepped around her and into the foyer that made up most of the first floor. I looked around the room, it felt like home. The wallpaper was peach with some floral designs on it. People could now buy wallpaper with 8 colors but many homes couldn't afford it especially with the war brewing on the horizon. But her house had a nice touch to it, a little feminine but nice anyway. My Ma had just white, peach and green wallpaper to the house, she thought that a house should have its designs but not patterns and decorations, she wasn't much for wallpapers like Anna had. The sideboard was pressed up against the far corner and still had my old books I had left here a few days ago, I told my Ma I'd forgotten them but I was not taking those horrible things home anytime soon. I hated books, I'd had enough of that back in my school years, and I didn't need it now. Anna was the total opposite; she loved books, especially the originals and poetic writings like Jane Austen and Mark Twain. Anna kept good care of the house; there wasn't a speck of dust on the tea table or smudges on the window sills. I trudged out of my boots and took off my vest, hanging it over the back of a small wooden chair. I turned back to Anna and laughed, she looked like a wild goose. She pouted, blushed and then laughed too, brushing the feathers out of her dark hazel hair. I loved it when she blushed, she did it so often and the bright pink color it brought to her cheeks was adorable. Ma said she was childish to blush so often but I found it cute. She skulked past me, picked up the broom beside the staircase and continued into the kitchen. I walked with her, sitting down at the kitchen table in her old stool that I had made her years ago.

Her kitchen was a lot like ours, white and plain with a stove, pantry and windows, but hers seemed brighter, maybe even cleaner. Ma was always getting on my case for not helping her clean, right now my only excuse was I was a man, and men don't clean. I usually got a slap on the back of the head for that, but it was better than cleaning. I smiled up at Anna as she swept the floor from corner to corner, she didn't miss a spot.

Once Anna was done she placed the broom back and came to sit with me at the table, her elbows on the table and her chin resting on her hands. She smiled over at me. I smiled back. God, I loved her smile.

"Happy eighteenth Birthday," She said grinning, "I hope ya'll liked your room." She said giggling. I chuckled back.

"You didn't have to do that, it wasn't that messy darlin'" I whispered, reaching out to take her hand and squeeze it gently, she smelled like bluebonnets, probably from gardening.

"Ha!" She snorted, rolling her eyes, "Jasper Whitlock I found everything up in that room from dust to preserves and mice to cows." She laughed sweetly and drew patterns on the back of my hand.

"Cows?" I asked, raising an eyebrow and snickered, "I thought I put that out of my room last week…" She giggled and stared down at her hands that were on top of mine. We sat there in silence for a few moments, her staring at our hands, me scanning the room for anymore handiwork to do. She scared me when she all of a sudden hopped up.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, "I forgot, do ya'll want to come to town with me, I got some errands to run and I'd sure love the company." She beamed and flashed her dimples. I laughed and nodded. Might as well, I had nails to buy."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"Well, the price for flour has gone up yet again." Anne complained staring at the shelf of food with a deep frown. The dent between her eyes formed as she read over the rest of the labels. Of course she should now the prices were going up, there was a war starting and the plantations were all being closed, what did she expect? "$3.75 for some flour, I never." She moaned. I had to agree, that was a little pricey. I read the labels over too, searching the shelves for any kind of deal. Not many.

"Hmm," I said pointing to a large bag, "Almost the same size bag of wheat for only $1.75. All you'd have to do is grind it at the mill. I'm sure Henry wouldn't mind giving you a discount, after the work ya'll did helping his daughter." I pointed out. She leaned over towards me and shook her head. I groaned. This was going to take forever. She wiped her hand across her face, moving some stray hairs and tucked them behind her ear. "$.95 for some peas, $.75 for some corn… Oh! Only $1.50 for a bushel of potatoes. Jasper, can you help me carry that?" she asked gesturing to a large sack of potatoes. I grumbled but got them off the shelf and put them over my shoulder. Anna grabbed some cans and a few more bags to put on my shoulders and went up to pay. She plopped the heavy bags down onto counters and I helped, sliding the huge bags off my shoulders and onto the small counter.

"Well Ma'am" he said hovering over the small register that clinked and clanked as his fingers hit the keys, "That'll be $17.50." I could hear as her jaw fell open, I was a little shocked too. You could have probably bought the same groceries for $5 less before this whole thing started. She groaned and dug into her pockets. She pulled out some coins and gave them to the man behind the counter. He counted it and stuck his hand out. "$.75 more please Ma'am." She felt her pockets but not a sound came from any of them. She began to grab the can of corn before I stuck my hand out. I was a gentleman, sort of; at least my Ma had raised me to be. I checked my pockets and of course they rattled with change. I placed a few quarters onto the counter and picked up the bags again. The man placed all the food into a bag and handed it to her gently. I remembered him from somewhere, he was new here obviously but I remembered his face. Anna walked ahead of me and placed the bag into a small wagon she brought. I placed the sacks in as well and we continued up the roads.

Anna chattered on about how her house needed fixing and how her Ma was planning on hiring a younger boy to help around the house now that I was getting older. I laughed; I wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.

"Hey Anna," I said grabbing onto her arm as we started to cross the rail tracks that lead to her road, "Can we stop at the blacksmiths for a moment or two, I need to grab something." Of course she agreed, she loved walking and it was a beautiful morning. We walked up the small roads as horses passed and dust flew everywhere. I was hoping it wouldn't be another dust bowl this summer, our crops just couldn't withstand that kind of force again, and we were already low enough. The blacksmith's building was a small barn type building located just off of the main street that ran through the city. Its exterior has once been a bright red with a shiny metal sign out front but after the dust bowls and fights it was worn and dirty. The blacksmith was Walter Thomas; he lived on a small house behind the blacksmith's shop with his wife and son, Lou and Eli. He was constantly struggling to give people lower prices but the demand just couldn't help it.

"Well howdy there Mr. Whitlock. Anna Ma'am." He said tipping his hat towards us as we entered the shop doors. He had been working on some horse shoes and dropped them onto the wood block, wiping his hands off to come greet us. "How may I be of service to ya'll?" he asked kindly. He was a kind spirit; I didn't understand why he married Lou, maybe out of pity. Lou had a hard life as a kid, her dad was as rough with his family as a bull, and now she was just as hard. I don't think I had ever seen her smile.

"Well, I was just wondering if you had some nails and a hammer that I could buy, if I may ask." I laughed and so did he. He was always laughing, but sometimes he made very horrid jokes.

"I think I do!" He exclaimed walking towards the back of the shop. "I'm sorry to say though," He shouted, "that prices have gone up again. That'll be $8." I frowned but dug through my pockets and found the money. I handed it to him as he counted and smiled. He tipped his hat and went back to work.

Anna and I left the store and wandered up the road. She continued on about gossip going around the town, to be honest it was a lady thing, I didn't grasp why gossip was so important.

"And, Mr. Andrew's wife came down from New York yesterday. She specializes in exotic lingerie. Quite the scandal." She peeped and laughed, "Though I don't think she'll get many customers around here." I had to laugh to. Everyone in town was aware of Mr. Andrew's coming. Levi Andrew's had lived in Frances before coming to the 'New World', it didn't seem so exciting to me. Levi was known for his abundance of money that he gained from plantations and mills he ran from overseas. He had come here to settle down and, as many folks assumed, to pinch a penny and be closer to his growing profit. They were right. I had never set eyes on such a penny pincher, it was ridiculous. And after everyone had found out what he was like they could wait a million years for his wife to arrive. I didn't know Anna knew so much about Mr. Andrew's; I didn't like it for some odd reason. I guess it was only fair she knew about all the people in town, I just didn't like the men.

"Edwin is actually looking for a suitor," she giggled, "I think he is so desperate he'll ask anyone. In fact, he's asked more than one gal!" She laughed at the idea, I had to admit, that was slightly desperate. A thought came to my head in an instant.

"Did he ask you?" I asked bitterly. She immediately turned her head to stare at me, and laughed putting a hand on her hip.

"Why?" I just shrugged and she guffawed, "Well actually yes he did. But I turned him down; I wasn't going to be a pick of a lot." This both disturbed and settled me. So he did show her preference, even slight and desperate preference. We pulled up next to the house and I began to help her carry her things into the house. Her mom was standing at the kitchen pantry digging through the jars and turned around when we entered.

"Well happy birthday son!" She shouted, she always did, and it was a little frightening in comparison to Anna's quiet voice. "Would you like to stay for dinner?"


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"Ya'll came just in time!" Her Ma shouted at me, even though I was standing just a few feet away from her, "I was just about to put on dinner. And you Mr. Jasper, I need you to do some things for me son. Sorry on your birthday, but, work is work." She laughed loudly, scaring me. No matter how long I stayed here I never got used to that. Anna's Ma's name was May Brown. May was a very plump woman, no exaggeration there. I didn't want to be rude but she looked like a cow, a male cow. She had a deep voice and was at least 2 feet smaller than me. After she married her husband, Jeremiah Smith, she moved here from New Orleans. In comparison to Anna she was the total opposite. Anna was as skinny as a rake and small too. She almost looked like a pixie. She didn't eat as much as her mother who at more than me. She was a pig. But she was a nice woman. Clean, presentable and pretty middle classed, but almost lower class. I felt bad for Anna. May did spoil herself way too often and Anna always ended up with left over, second hand or thrift wear. But Anna could pull it off.

Anna sat across from me on the table watching her mother as well as she stirred some soup. It smelled delicious, though I knew she'd eat most of it. Anna cooked and baked a lot so sometimes her Ma gave her days off, like today.

May placed the food bowls and dished onto the table. They steamed with food and the smell was heavenly. I stared at the dishes, my Ma never made this much food, though I didn't mind. I knew May was just trying to show off to me, but I knew in my heart Anna could beat her in any cooking challenge. I stared into the bowls, my mouth watering. Potato and cream soup, fish and roasted mutton, some currant jelly, some corn and some apple preserves. I dug in immediately taking as much as I could before the monster May got her hands on it. Anna took a few spoonfuls of each and then began to nibble. Her Ma almost took the whole dish; I was amazed she didn't eat the pot too. Dinner was delicious, but I knew I had to get to work afterwards. May had clearly informed me of every imperfection in the house. I had to laugh; I had a lot to do. The window sill on the second floor in May's bedroom was stuck and Anna's squeaked constantly. The porch needed repairing, the stable cleaned, the horse needed new shoes, the gate needed fixing and the basement storage was a mess. I stabbed the meat with my fork and stuck it in my mouth. My Pa himself was getting pretty old, but so was my Ma. I just hoped and prayed that they'd last a little longer.

"So Jasper," May asked quietly not looking up from her plate, "I heard ya'll aren't going to fight, are my sources correct?" she questioned lifting her head slightly. I sighed; I was getting this a lot lately. I wanted to, Anna knew that, but I couldn't. I nodded slowly, exaggerating the annoyance that caused me. "Why?" She questioned farther when she knew I wasn't going to answer fully.

"Well," I said quietly and slightly irritated, "You know my Ma and Pa need help right now, and so do ya'll." I laughed gesturing to the kitchen, Anna laughed too. "I would love to. But I … I think I still have some things to do before I go." I smiled up at Anna who immediately blushed, I knew her Ma had noticed but it didn't matter to me. Anna smiled back after a little while and continued to nibble.

"So it has nothin' to do with fear and coward?" She asked innocently, but it still stung a little.

"No." I answered bitterly. I knew the kind of games May played; she was a nice woman but was constantly riding your butt over the smallest things. I didn't like her thinking I was a coward. I wasn't. And I didn't want to be treated like one. I wasn't being self conscience or self centered when I said that I was one of the bravest men I knew. My Pa himself was strong to, but didn't hold the real potential I thought it took to be a real man.

"Well," She said smiling, trying to hide her amusement, "I guess that white feather goes to someone else." I frowned; I knew she had white feathers too. I thought it was mean to do to some people, but a reality check to others. Only a few weeks ago a bunch a kids delivered a white feather to the school teacher Mr. Younker. I thought that was well deserved. Any person knew that anyone who got a white feather was a coward, and Mr. Younker was a top man for that. Mr. Younker was young, strong and ambitious. But he didn't want to get his hands dirty. He was one of those types of guys.

After dinner I headed upstairs to Anna's room to fix that window. I knew it had been bother Anna in her sleep for over 2 weeks and she had been dead tired with it. Her room was a nice room, a little girly but also casual. It was a lot cleaner than mine. She had a tall vanity with a large mirror and a desk against one wall and a tea table and chair on the other side on opposite sides of the window. Her wide bed was in the middle of her room, the wooden head board pushed up against the wall. She had a very big bed for the room size; she had a smaller bed before. I knew that she had gotten the master bedroom of the house after her Pa had died, her Ma just couldn't handle the emotional tension the room brought her. Anna also got the house after her mother died, along with the property and all the furniture. I had always wondered if the bed would be a glamour between her and her suitor, when she got one. This bothered me. I examined the window sill and pushed on the window. It squeaked loudly and swung open, rattling and shaking. I pulled some tools out of my back pocket and started to fix the hinges, which were coming lose. I barely heard May come in. She was always coming in, usually to annoy me, but I didn't know if it was intentional or not.

"Jasper," She said very serious as she walked in the room. "I would like to have a moment of your time to talk to you." I looked up towards her. She had a very solemn face and she stared at me. Her eyes begged for me to listen and I felt all of a sudden very awkward. She didn't wait for a reply as she went to sit on the edge of Anna's bed. I continued to work my head still slightly to her to show I was listening. "Jasper, ya'll know I love you son right?" She asked. I nodded slowly, wondering where this was going. She sighed and came to my side, kneeling down beside me. "But," she said in a whisper, but a very stern and begging whisper as if what she was about to say was critical. "I wish you wouldn't get so close to Anna if you have no intention of getting serious with her…" I looked up towards her, shocked by her words. She stared into my eyes, searching for some emotion. "Are you?"


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"And then I was cleaning under ya'll bed and I found a dead mouse! How filthy can ya'll be!" Anna complained, I stuck my hand out from under the wagon and she passed me a hammer.

"Ya'll lucky that's the worst ya'll found in that hell hole of mine." I said from under the wheel, "It could a' been much, much worse." She laughed as I pulled myself out from under the wagon, my face covered in dirt and wood chips. "Next?" I asked happily. And she laughed.

'Ya'll actually willing to do this stuff? Ya'll know you don't have to do this. Were gonna get a work boy soon anyway. So you won't have to stick around." I wiped my hands on my pants and stood up, smiling.

"Nah, this way I get to spend time with ya'll" She immediately blushed and looked down, I regretted it but I still meant it. We used to say it to each other all the time when we were little, but I guess since we got older it got more awkward. I ran my hand through the back of my hair and laughed nervously. I looked down catching her at the moment when she was staring at me. My eyes locked with hers and I couldn't seem to look away. Eventually she quickly looked to the ground and giggled.

"Next would be the windows." She whispered embarrassed, I hadn't realized I had slowly been getting closer to her face and immediately straightened up. I laughed awkwardly, and clapped my hands together.

"Alright, show me the way!" She giggled again at my over exaggerated excitement.

"Hammer." She placed it in my hand and I hit the nail expertly into the wood. "Oil." She placed the bottle into my hand and I tried to ignore the electric current that shot up my hand when our skin touched. I began to carefully oil around the metal frame when she sat back and sighed. This was, as I knew from all the years growing up, her sign of saying she wanted to know something. I laughed and looked back towards her. "Yes?" I chuckled. She laughed quietly and quickly but it sounded bothered. I continued to work as she talked.

"Have ya'll ever…? Wanted to go to the war?" She questioned quietly. I laughed, so this is where we were headed, I'd been asked this a lot lately seeing I was getting old enough.

"I've thought about it, but it seems I am needed here." I said happily, not at all affected by the seriousness of the question. She seemed a lot more serious than I was on the topic. "Why?" She placed her hand on my shoulder immediately getting my full attention.

"Because I don't want to hold ya'll back." She said looking down to the floor. I heard a whimper and lifted her head with my finger on her chin. A few tears had run down her face and I closed my eyes.

Hit me with a hammer. Fine

Kick me where the sun don't shine. I'll survive.

Bull fight. Bring it on

…Tears? God have mercy on my soul, I need help.

"Hey, hey, hey." I said attempting to wipe the tears away frantically, "none a' that, please don't cry." This is why I don't spend my time with girls. They get emotional and I got to help, it's just instinct, it's the way my Ma raised me. I sighed; I didn't know what to do. You tell them not to cry and they just keep on crying, it doesn't help anything. I didn't know what to do.

Comfort.

Without thinking I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her to my chest, slowly rocking her back and forth murmuring in her ear. She clutched to my back and buried her face into my neck. My Ma used to do this when I was little and got hurt, it worked on me back then. We sat like that for a few moments before her sobs slowed and she started to pull away. I loosened my grip but refused to let go, it would help her more. She leaned back and stared into my eyes. She leaned towards me, running her hands through my hair and gripping fistfuls of hair. It didn't hurt, it actually felt good. Her lips crushed down on mine and I leaned back, slouching against the wall under the window with her on my lap. My hands slowly seemed to drift towards her bottom which, as my Ma told me, I should never really touch a gal there unless she was my wife, but they seemed to have their own mind.

"Anna!" Her Ma called from downstairs and she swiftly pulled away and looked over her shoulder out the hallway. I

let my head rest against the window sill and I closed my eyes.

"Yeah!" She called down to her.

"Can ya'll come her' for a moment?" I opened my eyes suddenly, I remembered her words before. _Do you?_

"Yeah!" he called again and turned back to me, blushing as she realized what had just happened. I smiled and she began to stand up, gripping the bedside table for support. I got up after she had and went to pick up the oil bottle I had dropped. Anna swiftly kissed me on the cheek and then sprinted down the stairs. I laughed and turned back to the window.

God have mercy on my soul, I need help.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

I shuffled the dirt under my shoe as I walked home. Anna had decided it rude to leave me walk home alone but I wouldnt have thought it rude. It gave me time to think though. Anna had been quiet most of the walk and I had assumed she felt the tension between us. Or maybe she thought I was mad. I could feel her anxiousness beside me and immediately tried to brighten the situation.

"So... Ya'll... Like the weather?" I asked stupidly. I felt like a moron and I sounded like one too. I had never really liked a girl before and Anna and I had been friends forever. Now as soon as I found out she liked me I was a abbling idiot. But she giggled in response, giving me confidence. Her walking slanted a little so she got closer to me. I assumed she had attempted to be stealthy but it was quite obvious. We turned down the street and onto the main road. Most of the stores were closing now and the men and ladies going back to their homes. I walked for a few moments before I realized Anna had stopped. I swung around to face her and found her staring at a wall. I walked back towards her and twisted my arm around her waist, thinking she was goofing off but then realized she was reading a poster.

I knew what it was about as soon as I read the title. 'Freemen! Avoid Conscription!' Obviously an advertisement for the war. Lately things had been getting a little close to town and I was getting worried. I, of course, didnt agree with the rights we were fighting for but I wanted to protect my family too. Anna turned to me, seeing the indecisive look on my face and put her hand against my chest.

"Ya'll gonna go fight arn't ya'll." She wishpered quietly. Her voice was not upset, but proud. I looked down towards her and back to the poster. I shook my head. "Why?" She asked, pulling back out of my arms and crossing her arms. I smiled, she acted like a pouty child denied candy.

"Im too young." I said softly, continuing to stare at the poster. God knew I did and that was the only jurisdiction holding me back. I looked down towards my feet and sighed. Anna raised her hand to rest on the side of my face and reached up to kiss my cheek.

"Ill get ya'll in." She promised solemnly. I was about to make a retort but she immediately responded. "Ya'll tall for your age and strong for your age. Ya'll let that hair grow out of ya'll face and ya'll look like your fifty-two. I know you want to fight and I know you wanna go fight. God knows you wanna fight and you can hide it from all the town her'. Ill get ya'll in." I turned to her in shock. I had never knew her to be such a rebel. I looked at the address for recruitment one last time and then tugged her away. My right arm was twisted around her waist and she had one arm resting on my forearm as she snuggled into my chest. As hot as the Texan sun was in the afternoon it got a little cool at night. We crossed the bridge and started to leave town. I could almost see my house already from the little light that shone from the window. I turned toward Anna and held both her hands in mine.

"I'll stop here, you can start heading home. But, please be careful, I dont like you wandering around at night." I leaned down to kiss the top of her head and she wrapped her hand in my hair, pulling my down to her lips. I was still not used to the electric current that blew through my body when my lips met hers. My arms slithered around her waist and her arms rested on my neck. Her legs started to give way, and I began to lean her so she was pressed up against my body. She was warmer than I was. She broke away gasping and I chuckled. Now knowing my great kissing skills I had a much stronger ego. She caressed my face and leaned in for one more kiss. It was gentle, quick and sweet but still electric. i released her from my arms and she began to walk home, not turning her back on me. She walked and cupped her hands around her face to shout.

"Tommorrow!" I nodded and waved back. I watched her til she was out of my sight and then turned to walk into the house. It was dark and my Ma had already gone to sleep but left a small candl burning so I could see my way around. I picked it up and carried it up the stairs to my bedroom. I crawled under the blankets and blew out the candle.

My mind filled with pictures of Anna, pictures and fantasies that if I knew any man were thinking about her Id kill them. I let they run free in my mind until I realized how badly I needed sleep.

Tommorrow I was joining the Confederacy.


End file.
